Alcatraz
PANICd#: 1018
In 1850, a presidential order set aside the island for possible use as a United States military reservation. The California Gold Rush, the resulting boom in the growth of San Francisco, and the need to protect San Francisco Bay led the U.S. Army to build
Alcatraz Island
San Franciso , CA
Open to the public: Unknown
Lat: 37.8266636
Lon: -122.4230122
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 4
History: 2
Stories: 0
Claims: 5
Evidence: 0
Resources: 6
Retrievals: 4275
Vistor Rating: 3.3
Votes: 3
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History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
Al Capone, who spent his last years at Alcatraz with his health in decline from untreated syphilis, took up playing the banjo with a prison band. Fearing he would be killed if he spent his recreational time in the "yard," Capone received permission to spend recreation time practicing his banjo in the shower room.
In recent years, a park ranger claimed he heard banjo music coming from the shower room. Not familiar with the history of Alcatraz, the ranger could not find a reason for the sound and documented the strange event. Other visitors and employees have reported hearing the sound of a banjo coming from the prison walls.
Added by: zhall on 01/12/2011
DB#:44
Source(s):
In 1850, a presidential order set aside the island for possible use as a United States military reservation. The California Gold Rush, the resulting boom in the growth of San Francisco, and the need to protect San Francisco Bay led the U.S. Army to build a Citadel, or fortress, at the top of the island in the early 1850's. The Army also made plans to install more than 100 cannon on the island, making Alcatraz the most heavily fortified military site on the West Coast. Together with Fort Point and Lime Point, Alcatraz formed a "triangle of defense" designed to protect the entrance to the bay. The island was also the site of the first operational lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States.
By the late 1850's, the first military prisoners were being housed on the island. While the defensive necessity of Alcatraz diminished over time (the island never fired its guns in battle), its role as a prison would continue for more than 100 years. In 1909, the Army tore down the Citadel, leaving its basement level to serve as the foundation for a new military prison. From 1909 through 1911, the military prisoners on Alcatraz built the new prison, which was designated the Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks for the U.S. Army. It was this prison building that later became famous as "The
Added by: zhall on 01/04/2011
DB#:19
Source(s):
https://www.alcatraztrips.com/history.asp
Stories
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.
No Stories Yet!
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
| Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
| 1037 | 01/04/2011 | zhall | That the utility corridor has paranormal activity. From inmates Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard |
| 1038 | 01/04/2011 | zhall | Cell 14D, one of the 'hole' cells is believed by some to be very active with spirits. |
| 1039 | 01/04/2011 | zhall | Sobbing from inside the prison walls, and then a cold wind. |
| 1040 | 01/04/2011 | zhall | Claim of crying and moaning in Block C. |
| 1041 | 01/04/2011 | zhall | A park ranger claimed he heard banjo music coming from the shower room. |
Paranormal Evidence
Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.
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No Evidence Reported Yet!
Additional Resources
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
| Alcatraz History
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
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| The Utility Corridor
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
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| Cell 14D
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
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| Warden Johnston
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
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| Cell blocks A,B and C
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
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| The Gost of Al Capone
Added: 01/04/2011 By: zhall |
Location Comments
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